All practitioners at Next Practice Newstead run their own independent medical/allied health services business. As such, they set their own booking schedules, policies and fees. All discounting and any reduced billing is at their individual discretion. Payment is due on the day.
To find out each practitioners areas of interest and fee structure, please go to their individual web page.

HotDoc Payments:

When booking online through the HotDoc app or website, you may be asked to enter your credit or debit card details before your appointment. This request is sent securely via HotDoc and is used to hold your booking. Your card will only be charged after your appointment has taken place.
If you book over the phone or in person, you may receive an SMS or email with a secure link to enter your card details. Again, no payment is taken until after your appointment.

What does pre-authorisation mean?
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If you are seeing a pending payment in your card right after booking an appointment, it means your practice is pre-authorising payment for the appointment booked through HotDoc.
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This is a temporary transaction that puts the estimated cost of the booking into a hold on your credit/debit card, but those funds won't be debited from your account until after you attend your appointment.

You may see both the pending and final charges at the same time, however you won't be charged twice, the pending charge will disappear once the payment is processed.

If your booking is within 7 days from the moment you booked, the funds will be debited once you are seen by your practitioner.
If your booking is further than 7 days into the future, we will release the pre-authorised funds back to your card 7 days after you made the booking.

Note: Released funds may take up to 7 business days to be available in your account depending on your bank.

Where are my card details stored?
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Your card details are never visible to HotDoc nor the practice, and we do not collect or store your card details. We use financial organisations Stripe, Pin Payments and Spreedly that we embed into our HotDoc platform to process payments and who are all Payment Card Industry - Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS) Level 1 certified.
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When you add your debit or credit card details via HotDoc, Stripe helps protect against disputes and fraud by verifying your card information with the card network, which then checks it against their records. In some instances, you may be directed to complete an additional verification step with your bank, where you will need to enter a password or code sent to your mobile device, to confirm your identity with your card issuer.

What happens if I cancel my appointment?
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Your pre-authorisation will be cancelled. No payment will be taken as the appointment has not occurred.

How do I receive my rebate for telehealth appointments?
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For your convenience your claim can be processed through Medicare online and your rebate will be deposited into your nominated bank account within 24/48 hours, provided that you have registered your bank details with Medicare.

Do we have an appointment Attendance, Cancellation and Late Arrival Policy?

Yes we do - Our doctors’ appointment schedules are often fully booked, and missed appointments prevent other patients - many of whom may be unwell - from accessing timely care. This policy is designed to ensure fairness, minimise disruptions to patient care, and support the safe and efficient running of our practice.
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Cancellation Notice Requirements

‍We understand that unforeseen circumstances can arise and that patients may occasionally need to cancel or reschedule an appointment. Where possible, we respectfully request a minimum of 24 hours’ notice prior to your scheduled appointment time to allow us to offer the appointment to another patient.
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‍Non‑Attendance and Late Cancellation
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‍A non‑attendance (Did Not Attend – DNA) or late cancellation is defined as: Failure to attend a scheduled appointment without notice, or Cancellation with less than 24 hours’ notice.
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If sufficient notice is not provided, the following will apply: First Occurrence You will receive a phone call and a follow‑up email advising that a DNA fee has been charged, as follows:
-Standard appointment (15 minutes): $50
-Long appointment (30 minutes): $100
-Extra‑long appointment (40 minutes): $150
-Comprehensive appointment (60 minutes): $200
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These fees are not Medicare‑rebatable.
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‍Subsequent Occurrences (Two or More)

‍If there are two or more instances of non‑attendance or late cancellation: A $100 deposit will be required to secure future appointments If the appointment is again missed or cancelled late, a DNA fee will be charged (as listed above), in addition to forfeiture of the deposit. The Practice Manager may contact you to discuss your appointment attendance. Ongoing access to future appointments will be at the discretion of the Practice and your treating practitioner, with consideration given to continuity and safety of care Extenuating Circumstances. We recognise that genuine and exceptional circumstances may occasionally prevent attendance. If this applies to you, please email the Practice Manager at: Attention: Practice Manager newstead.pa@nextpracticehealth.com
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Your individual circumstances will be considered and, where appropriate, discussed with your GP or regular GP. Fee waivers are not automatic and are assessed on a case‑by‑case basis.
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‍Late Arrival and Telehealth Appointments
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‍To ensure fairness to all patients and minimise delays: If you arrive late, your consultation time will be limited to the remaining duration of your scheduled appointment. Example: If you book a 15‑minute appointment at 10:00am and arrive at 10:05am, the consultation can only proceed until 10:15amIf you arrive too late for your GP to safely or reasonably conduct the consultation, this will be treated as a non‑attendance and the above policy and fees will apply. For Telehealth appointments, if you are unable to answer your phone at, or around, the scheduled appointment time, your GP may not be able to call again. If contact cannot be made within the scheduled appointment window, this will be considered a non‑attendance and fees may apply.
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‍Acknowledgement
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‍By booking an appointment with our practice, you acknowledge and accept the terms of this policy.

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